Ruth Rhoads Lepper Gardner

Ruth Rhoads Lepper Gardner (1905 – 2011) was an artist and mapmaker who published illustrated maps of the coast of Maine. She developed an interest in mapmaking while working as a draftsman for the US Navy during World War II.

Personal life Gardner was the eldest of three children born to George and Louisa Lepper in Norwood, Massachusetts. Her father was a machinist and one of the early Ford dealers in Massachusetts, and also operated a bicycle shop with her mother. Many of her friends and relatives called her "Red" because of her hair and personality.

She eventually became a young apprentice to her aunt, Annie L. Cox and traveled the world expanding on her own artistic skills and experiences. Living briefly in Greenwich Village, New York, she enjoyed a bohemian lifestyle. She worked at Macy's and occasionally posed as a model for local artists.

Awards

Distinguished Achievement Award (2004) Pictorial Map of Southern Maine (1952) Mid-Coast Maine (1979), color lithograph, 37 x 54 cm, OML Collections The Maine Coast from Kittery to Cape Elizabeth (1977), Color lithograph, 53 x 39 cm, OML Collections